


Processing - DE inspired

by AmeBot2038



Series: Detroit Evolution [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Detroit Awakening, Detroit Evolution, Inspired by Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, M/M, Nightmare, Octopunk Media, Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Post-Detroit Evolution, Post-Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Spoilers for Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, ace - Freeform, lovestory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23827684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeBot2038/pseuds/AmeBot2038
Summary: Nines deleted his Zen Garden, but what happens after? He can't process things as he usually does, and needs help from Gavin after having a nightmare.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: Detroit Evolution [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2012938
Comments: 3
Kudos: 71





	Processing - DE inspired

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I tried my best to make this a good story so everybody feels comfortable with it. Please be aware that this plays in a police world so there is a case, but it is only mentioned briefly. Lots of love! I hope you enjoy reading. I translated my fanfiction from German to English so I'm sorry if there are some mistakes.

Gavin Reed’s Appartement, Detroit  
October 17th, 2039  
11.34 PM

I was lying in my bed and stared at the ceiling above me. I wasn’t awake because nightmares had tormented me again, I was just enjoying the moment of calm and peace after an exhausting and disgusting case. Nines was lying next to me and charged his battery. So, he was sleeping right now if you wanted to call it that. My eyes went to him and I watched his LED turn in a steady rhythm, and which sent a soft, blue glow. His hair was tangled, which gave him a much more normal look instead of his perfection. I couldn’t control myself, I reached out and stroked through his hair. A smile appeared on the android’s lips. Of course, he noticed me and knew I was touching him. I rolled my eyes in annoyance, but still couldn’t suppress my grin. I wasn’t even unnoticed when he was asleep. Damn perfectionist. I pulled my hand back to allow the android to relax because I didn’t want to distract him. Still, I didn’t look away and continued to watch Nines with fascination.  
While, I was still trying to remember when I first saw Nines as attractive, Nines’ state of mind changed. I was so lost in my own thought that I didn’t notice how suddenly a yellow light lit up the room. It was only when the Android moved next to me that I was pulled out of my thoughts. I glanced at Nines in surprise. I assumed he was awake again and wanted to get up or whatever. But then I noticed the quick turning yellow light on his temple. Shortly afterwards he turned away and my view of him was blocked.  
“Nines, what is it?“ I asked, still assuming he was awake. I didn’t get an answer. Confused, I straightened up to see what was going on. Nine’s pillow was turned red and his face was in pain.  
“Nines?“ I repeated my question, louder this time.  
“Gavin!“ He shouted, but before I could answer, he whispered: „No, please.“  
The words came out of his mouth so weak and sad that it made my heart hurt. Apparently, Nines had a nightmare, I didn’t even know that it was technically possible.  
Without thinking, I turned Nines on his back with all my strength and sat on his hips.  
“Nines! Wake up! I’m here!” I called and shook his shoulders lightly.  
Like a flash, Nines opened his eyes and stared at me without recognizing me. There was panic in his eyes.  
“Hey, everything is fine,“ I said softly and gently to calm him down. „You are safe. I’m with you. Everything is alright.“  
When Nines seemed to be back in reality, I sat next to him to give him some space. Surely, he was confused and needed some time to understand what had just happened. I always want to be on my own after a nightmare and I’m used to it. After a few seconds he looked at me briefly before wrapping his arms around me. I fell back in surprise, but also put my arms around him.  
“Are you okay?“ We both said at the same time and I had to smile.  
“I’m good. What’s about you?” I asked, stroking the android’s back soothingly.  
“It is going to be alright. I guess ... I … dreamed ... If you want to call it that,” Nines murmured and get up.  
He leaned against the bed and I sat cross-legged next to him so I could look at him. I was interested in how he could dream at all, but it was much more important to calm him down because he had obviously not yet recovered.  
“What did you dream about?“ I asked.  
He was silent for a moment and looked at the blanket that was still above him.  
“From this case that we closed today. I saw you ... how you lay in front of me with your body parts ripped off. There was blood everywhere and I knew I had done this to you. It was like I was me again before I deviated. As if I was doing actions that I didn’t really want to do. There was nothing I could do about it and my mind only came back on when I couldn’t help you anymore,” he sighed heavily.  
I frowned in confusion.  
“Why’re you dreaming something like that? This didn’t even happen in a similar way. Usually you process the experiences in a dream, but we never experienced that.”  
Nines sighed again.  
“I know. I suspect it is related to my deleted Zen garden. I retreated there every day before going to sleep. This place was my dreams in a controlled way. I have processed and sorted the experiences. Like the photos sorted in the different folders on your computer. Like the photos sorted in the different folders on your computer. I also have different folders in my memory where I put everything. After my interface with Ada, I had to delete this place to return back from the safe mode. Since then I have been unable to sort what I have perceived, and everything is floating through my head unfiltered.”  
“Then build up the Zen garden again. I’m sure you’re able to program that again, somehow. I mean you’re the most advanced prototype and this shit.“  
“It wouldn’t be the same anymore.“  
“Why that? You can certainly rebuild it in the same way.“  
“But I had someone there that helped me to understand everything.“  
“Well then you just reinstall the person. I don’t understand the problem.“  
His eyes turned to me and he looked as if he had to force himself to answer me.  
“It was you, or rather a modified version of yourself. You, but not you.“  
“Oh my goodness, if it helps you, you’ll do it again too,“ I grumbled, because I didn’t understand why he suddenly became so picky.  
“I said it wouldn’t the same anymore. I processed everything there. I can no longer do that now.“  
He looked at me intently, but whatever he wanted to tell me with the look, I didn’t understand.  
“I really have no idea what you mean. Have you imagined nasty things with me or what?” I asked with a grin.  
Nines looked at me suprised and scared. Then I understood and I started to laugh out loud.  
“You’re not serious!“ I snorted. „I underestimated you, tin can.“  
Nines watched me unsettled, but I couldn’t stop laughing.  
“Stop laughing at me,“ the Android grumbled insulted. „I just have to deal with feelings and since I thought you would hate me, I knew how to help myself other than to express my feelings like that.“  
“You don’t have to be embarrassed, Nines. It’s normal. Do you think I was different? I also had to process it somehow. I have-“  
I wanted to continue talking, but then I stopped and the laugh passed. I dropped my eyes for a moment before looking at Nines again. I wanted to calm him down, but he anticipated. He took my hand tenderly.  
“Don’t be afraid to open up. I know what you’re doing when I tell someone.“  
He winked conspiratorially and made me smile so little.  
“I’ve imagined so many times how nice it’d be to be able to touch you. Not in a sexual way, I just wanted to be close to you,” I confessed. „You have made me feel that I can trust you, that you will be there for me and that you wouldn’t hurt me. I felt safe. Unfortunately, I was never able to force myself to admit these feelings. I was afraid to be disappointed again.“  
“Opening up is never a weakness.“  
Nines squeezed my hand and smiled warmly at me.  
“I know that now,“ I said, returning the smile gratefully.  
I looked away for a moment until I was able to force myself to speak my thoughts.  
“I need you,“ I whispered.  
“I won’t go anywhere,“ Nines promised.  
“I know, me neither,“ I repeated our covenant from the balcony.  
Nines pulled me towards his for a moment and breathed a kiss on my lips.  
“Now let’s sleep. You have to rest, Detective.“  
We lay down again and I snuggled happily against Nines’ shoulder.

Detroit Police Departement, Detroit  
October 18th, 2039  
7.39 AM

The traffic was surprisingly smooth today, so Gavin and I got to the DPD very quickly. We still had 21 minutes to go before we started working. I used the time, as well as the car ride and the last few days, to think. After my involuntary interface with Ada, I had to completely delete my Zen garden. However, there was an emptiness in my head that I had to refill. I still needed a place where I could process what I had experienced, where I could think and to which I could withdraw. During my programming, I had already sorted everything I perceived into folders, and I had kept it as it was, because it seemed useful to me. Now, however, it was self-protection, because I didn’t want to mix different experiences like yesterday in my dream.  
I just didn’t know how to design this place. It had to be a place where I felt comfortable and safe. The Zen garden wasn’t an option. Firstly, I didn’t feel safe there anymore, secondly, it was also my retreat for my feelings for Gavin. It would feel strange going back there as I no longer needed and didn’t want to explore my hidden feelings. Zen-Gavin was too perfect, he was ... like me, a machine. I preferred the real Gavin and I now knew that he was perfect the way he was.  
Sighing, because I would now come to no result, I turned my attention back to reality. Gavin watched me thoughtfully. When our eyes met, he raised his eyebrows, but I just shook my head. I was glad that he didn’t immediately make suggestions again. On the way to the DPD, he had suggested that I shouldn’t be so boring and set up a theme park in my head. That had given me an uncomfortable déjà vu.  
Gavin left it at that, took a long sip from his coffee mug, and then returned to the file in front of him. We closed the case yesterday and had to finish the report. As I helped Gavin file the case, I continued to think about my problem.  
There had to be a place where I felt comfortable. I was amazed to see that I had simply not seen enough to find out where I could feel safe. I realized that I was too busy in my mind palace and not attentive enough after Gavin repeated twice that I should come with him. It was already evening, and he wanted to show me something before we went home. I followed him in amazement. What happened all day? How was it possible for me not to focus on my work? How could I be so in my thoughts that I couldn’t even remember what happened?  
“Where are we going?“ I asked.  
„If you don’t want to rebuild your Zen garden, don’t want to take the DPD or anything, I’ll show you my favorite spot in Detroit. One of my two favorite places to be correct. The Grand Circus Park is very beautiful, but maybe that reminds you too much of your Zen garden.”  
He got into the elevator.  
“Gavin, I already know the smoking terrace, which was supposed to be a break area for everyone,“ I reminded him and wanted to stay outside.  
“Shut up. You don’t know what I want to show you, tin can.“  
He rolled his eyes. I gave up and followed. Gavin was tense, but I didn’t know why. What did he want to show me? We drove to the top floor and walked past empty offices. The HR department, whose employees had already finished work, was sitting here. Gavin walked unerringly through the hallways until he came to a heavy metal door. He opened it and I saw a small stairwell. Where did this stairs go? We were already at the top. Gavin climbed the stairs, opened another door a little later and suddenly we were standing outside. We were on the roof of the DPD building. I turned admiringly around myself to see everything. The DPD was not the highest building in the city center, but the golden light of the setting sun was reflected by every window of the surrounding office skyscrapers, creating a very special atmosphere. The place had something peaceful and idyllic. I immediately knew that this was perfect for becoming my new mind palace. I would reprogram the place for myself, but it was a wonderful foundation. Maybe I would even add a version of Ada to help me think. After all, she was a high advanced Android and I still had her interface.  
“Why is nobody else here?“ I asked in awe, because I didn’t understand why people didn’t want to see all this.  
“Nobody knows about it,“ Gavin murmured.  
His mood had dropped noticeably, which tore me out of my enchantment through this place.  
“How did you find this place?“ I asked carefully.  
Gavin looked at the floor.  
“It was during my internship at the DPD,“ he began quietly. „I wasn’t old enough to register for the police academy straight away, I had to work as an intern for a while. It was spring and I was lost at my desk, everyone was gone. The caretaker went through the building and checked that everything was okay. He found me and asked if I wanted to see something great. I wasn’t particularly optimistic that he could really cheer me up, but I didn’t want to be rude either. So, I was going with him, and he showed me this place here. Admittedly, it didn’t really cheer me up, but it gave me a special place to retreat. He shoved the key into my hand and said it’d remain our secret. That evening he took me with him and his wife. I could eat and sleep with them. We still meet up here sometimes and talk a little bit, but still only we both know this place. Well, and you now.“  
Now I understood why he was so tense and silent on the way. He was still afraid to open and it took an effort to overcome. But the fact that he showed me this place and told me his story meant a lot to me and I appreciated it. I realized again how much Gavin meant to me and I realized again how much I had to mean to him. He trusted me and opened to me. Only to me. He had no family, no friends, only colleagues. My desire to protect him grew even bigger than it already was.  
“Well anyway. You can use the place if you want. Now let’s go, I want to go home.“  
Gavin had closed his heart again and wanted to cover the situation with normalcy, as he always did. But now I knew that he only wished he didn’t have to be alone anymore. He turned and wanted to go, but I quickly grabbed his hand and held it gently. Gavin froze in motion. I knew exactly how uncomfortable those moments were after he had entrusted me with something from his past. He didn’t know how to deal with his feelings. Without letting go of his hand, I stood in front of him.  
“Thank you.“  
It was the only thing I said, but I knew Gavin would understand what I meant. He smiled at me and returned the pressure of my hand. I slowly leaned forward and breathed a kiss on his cheek.  
“I love you.“


End file.
